Miami Dade Real Estate Scoop

7600 SW 90 Avenue, Miami, FL 33173 Pool Home

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:37:29 -0400

Maggie Dokic | Keller Williams Realty Premier Properties | (786) 433-2495

7600 SW 90th Ave, Miami, FL

Location! Updated Pool Home in Executive Sunset/Galloway Neighborhood

3BR/3BA Single Family House

offered at $459,990

Year Built 1957 Sq Footage 2,862 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 4+ Car garage Lot Size 16,940 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Location! Builder's 1/2 acre corner lot pool home. Prime Galloway/Sunset neighborhood. Mid-century modern courtyard home. 3Bed/3Bath/2-Car Garage. Split layout w/ bedrooms surrounding pool/courtyard/covered porch area. Entertain or relax the day away. Fireplace, Saturnia marble floors, spacious kitchen w/ island/granite/wood cabinetry/stainless appl. Remodeled baths. Natural light and storage throughout. Circular driveway, privacy fence, no HOA. $2K credit for exterior paint w/ full price contract.

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Central A/C - Central heat - Fireplace - Walk-in closet - Tile floor - Family room - Living room - Dining room - Breakfast nook - Dishwasher - Refrigerator - Stove/Oven - Microwave - Granite countertop - Stainless steel appliances - Washer - Dryer - Laundry area - garage - Balcony, Deck, or Patio - Yard - Swimming pool - Jacuzzi/Whirlpool

OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES

- Huge corner lot is fenced for privacy. Surrounded by multi-million dollar homes. Centrally located!

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

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Contact info:

Maggie Dokic

Keller Williams Realty Premier Properties

FL Lic. # BK3126272

(786) 433-2495

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Oct 1, 2011, 2:14pm PDT

Maggie Dokic, SFR is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Florida selling residential real estate in Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables, Gables by the Sea, High Pines, the Redland and other select areas of SW Miami-Dade County.

Maggie has earned her SFR certification to be able to better serve the needs of her customers in today's non-traditional real estate market. SFR is a Short Sale, Foreclosure Resource Specialist. Designees have been trained to understand the highly specialized options available to Sellers facing short sales & foreclosures and Buyers looking to buy them.

For more information on our local real estate market, or to see or sell a home in Miami, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables or the Redland, visit my Miami Real Estate blog or contact me at Maggie (at) TheBlogThatAteMiami (dot) com.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Is The FDIC Killing Indymac OneWest Bank Short Sales?

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:31:38 -0500

This is the kind of information that needs to be made public. Sometimes, no matter how careful we are to get a pristine short sale package to the bank, the odds are stacked against us. Knowing about the deals made between our government and these banks helps us be better prepared.

Help spread the word.

Via Bob Hertzog Phoenix Short Sale Agent, Designated Broker (Summit Home Consultants):

Is The FDIC Killing Indymac OneWest Bank Short Sales & Loan Modifications?

Please Note: This is a re-post of a blog I wrote on September 17, 2009. In February/2010, the guys at Think Big Work Small decided to use this blog as the basis of their video that ended up “going viral”. The title of their video was “The IndyMac Slap In Our Face”, and I’m sure many of you saw it.

As of the re-posting of this blog, the FDIC now has 167 Loss Share Agreements in place with various lenders. At the end of 2009, there were 94. Also, as of today, the FDIC reports that the Deposit Insurance Fund currently has a balance of NEGATIVE $15.2 BILLION. As many of you know, the FDIC received its funding from it’s member banks, charging them annual premiums. At the end of 2009, they forced all of the member banks to pre-pay their premiums for the next 3 years. So, the FDIC is running $15.2 Billion in the red, and has already received its premiums for the next 3 years. Where do you suppose they are going to get their money from now on? Who do you think? The U.S. Treasury. Where is the Treasury going to get their money? By now, you should know the answer to that. They’ll get it from the American Taxpayers. Folks, this is just another bank bailout. Don’t believe me? Read on…

As some of you may already know, I specialize in helping homeowners avoid foreclosure through the use of short sales. Recently, I dealt with a very interesting case involving Indymac/OneWest Bank, that I felt needed to be brought to the attention of all American taxpayers.

Basically, IndyMac Bank (now OneWest Bank), is holding one of my clients hostage, demanding a $75k promissory note, or they will proceed to foreclosure. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why they were doing this. The BPO came in at the contract price of $275k, with a net to IndyMac of $241k. What advantage could there possibly be for them to proceed to foreclosure?

Yesterday, I figured it out. You see, IndyMac was taken over by the FDIC and sold to OneWest Bank in March/2009. Guess who the investors are behind OneWest? George Soros, Michael Dell, Steve Mnuchin (former Goldman Sachs executive), and John Paulson (hedge-fund billionaire).

Now, listen to the deal they got from the FDIC....

Basically, they purchased all current residential mortgages at 70% of par value (70% of the outstanding loan amounts). They purchased all current HELOCS at 58% of Par Value!!!

Next, in order to "sweeten the pot", the FDIC stepped in and guaranteed the following: For any residential mortgages where OneWest experiences a loss, the FDIC will step in and cover anywhere from 80%-95% of the loss. The loss is calculated using the ORIGINAL LOAN BALANCE, not the amount that OneWest paid for the loan. Let's use my clients actual situation as an example:

Loan Amount is $478,000, plus 6 months of missed payments, for a grand total of $485,200

OneWest pays $334,600 for the loan

We have an all cash offer of $241,000, net to OneWest.

So, let's do the math, shall we? The net loss, according to the FDIC formula is the ORIGINAL LOAN AMOUNT minus the amount of the offer. In this case, $485,200-$241,000, or $244,200. Next, the FDIC, according to their Loss Share Agreement, writes a check to OneWest for 80% of the so-called "net loss". So, in this case, OneWest gets a check from Uncle Sam for $195,360 (.80 X $244,200).

Add the $195,360 to the sales price of $241,000, and you get a grand total of $436,360. Remember, OneWest paid $334,600 for the loan. So, OneWest puts $101,760 in their pocket, thanks to the FDIC. Folks, that is over $100k of our hard-earned tax dollars!

So, you ask...Why does this program hurt short sales? Because, our brilliant government offers this SAME PROGRAM FOR FORECLOSURES! The only difference is, the government picks up 80% of the tab on all of the extra costs associated with a foreclosure (BPO's, upkeep, utilities/maintenance, legal fees, etc.)

So, If I'm OneWest, why would I want to waste my time negotiating through a Short Sale, when I can make the same amount of money (if not more) by just letting it go to foreclosure? And we wonder why nobody can get a Loan Modification? Why would OneWest approve a loan modification for this guy, when they can foreclose and make over $100k? And, to add injury to insult, they have held this loan for 6 months! Not a bad ROI, huh?

What infuriates me the most is that in my particular case mentioned above, they have the guts to hold my client hostage for a $75k promissory note, after they are already making more than $100k on the sale!!! This is his primary residence, 1st Position loan, and OneWest has NO RECOURSE! Imagine if they could make $100k, then get a deficiency judgement! Talk about making some big bucks!

Can you say "GREED"?

But wait, here's the best part... I sent letters to Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl, with a cc to the CEO of OneWest, explaining the current loss-share agreement, as well as including the FDIC worksheets, with the actual numbers in this case, showing them that OneWest was making a profit of over $100,000 on this deal, thanks to the FDIC. Within 24 hours, I received a response from the PR Firm representing OneWest, telling me that OneWest would dismiss the promissory note requirement, and the short sale was approved. We closed escrow 3 weeks later. My client not only avoided a $75,000 commitment, but also salvaged his credit by short-selling his home, versus handing it back to OneWest via foreclosure.

The scary thing is that at the end of 2009, the FDIC reported that they had agreed to 94 different loss-sharing agreements (totaling $122 BILLION). Strangely enough, the only one that I could find on the FDiC website was the OneWest bank arrangement.

This entire agreement between the FDIC and OneWest can be found on the FDIC Website. It's all there, for the world to see! They have it all laid out. All of the formulas, worksheets, etc.

Now, it's up to us to bring it to the attention of our elected officials and the media. Enough is Enough!

Wait, it gets better...The FDIC just announced that they are "considering" borrowing money from the U.S. Treasury in order to replenish it's deposit insurance fund (the same fund being used to pay all of these banks in the Loss Share Agreements). Go Figure! Don't believe me? Go read the article!

Update 2/16/10: On a side note, many of you have sent emails, called, and/or commented on the recent video produced by TBWS. The day the video was released, I began receiving emails, calls, etc. from folks, asking me if I had anything to do with the video. While the numbers they quote in the video are the exact numbers in the blog post above, I had absolutely nothing to do with it's creation or production. Apparently, someone sent them the blog, and they produced the video with the information contained therein. While I'm happy that the video was able to get the story out to more people (which was my original intent in writing the blog), I must say that I was disappointed that TBWS made the conscious decision to not give credit to where they got the information, either in the "1st edition" that was released on 2/8/10, or the "revised edition" that came out on 2/16/10, in response to the FDIC Press Release. I commend them for squeezing in an acknowledgement on their 2/9/10 video, after I called Brian and reminded him of where all of their information came from. Despite numerous efforts to contact them, they have now chosen not to respond. To each his own, I suppose. Either way, please know that I had nothing to do with the video, and it was done without my knowledge.

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Bob Hertzog

Summit Home Consultants

www.forsalephoenixhomes.com

Copyright © By Bob Hertzog 2010 *Is The FDIC Killing IndyMac OneWest Bank Short Sales & Loan Modifications?*

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Kudos to RMEC Pirates' Good Deeds

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:58:48 -0500

I am so proud of the kids at Robert Morgan Educational Center. Every year they participate in the United Way's fundraising.

This year they received top honors.

They were not only the High School to raise most money in Miami. Better.

They were not only the High School to raise the most money in Miami-Dade county. Better.

They were not only the High School to raise the most money in Florida. Better.

They were the High School to raise the most money in the nation. Awesome job Pirates!

The kids at RMEC raised over $14,000 in the one week they participated. Considering that Robert Morgan's student body comes from all income levels, this is even more impressive.

These kids embody the true spirit of giving and caring for those less fortunate. You make me proud to be a Pirate Parent.

Yo, ho, ho, a pirate's life for me!

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Palmetto Bay Dog Park Finally Opened!

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:03:02 -0500

After two years of waiting, the doggie park in Palmetto Bay finally opened on Saturday, Nov. 17th.

We stopped by in the afternoon and there were quite a few people there with their four-legged friends.

It was nice to see that the pooches could run around freely. There's a lake in the center of the park where they can swim if they want to. There's also penned areas for small dogs and large dogs to play in, respectively. This is real nice for the smaller dogs who may not be too keen about having monster big dogs chasing them around the park. LOL

There's plenty of places to sit if you get tired of playing frisbee with Fido. And if Fido gets thirsty, he has a water fountain where he can quench his thirst!

Palmetto Bay residents were happy to see this park finally open. The park is on 164 Street and US 1. The only way to get in on US 1 is Northbound so you may need to make a U-ie if you're heading South. Just do it carefully. This is US1 after all. Or hang a left on 160th before the park and get in the back way.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Success, But At What Cost?

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:08:54 -0500

I just read a post of John Novak's that got me thinking. Off I went to click on his links and read some more. His post is about the top selling agents in real estate. It's an eye-opener. Take a detour and check it out. I'll wait.

The post is eye-opening because the volume these agents have done is beyond huge. It's ginormous! The top selling agent, Dolly Lenz, sold $748,319,000. That's for the year, not a lifetime. Quite the impressive number, don't you think? Ms. Lenz states that depending on whether one of her deals in escrow closes in December or January she'll make over $10,000,000 in commission for 2007. Let's s-l-o-w- t-h-a-t- d-o-w-n a l-i-t-t-l-e..... ten million dollars in commissions. Most agents don't have that much in gross sales, let alone commissions.

I enjoyed reading several articles profiling Ms. Lenz. I cannot relate to the numbers, but I can relate to the ideas.

She deals with overpriced listings like the rest of us. She specifically discussed having Donald Trump's Palm Beach estate on the market for over a year. The beachfront estate is listed at $125,000,000 and she feels it's more in line with right under 100 mil. But what to do? The Donald feels it's worth 15 million more. Until the disparity between his perceived value and the market's perceived value is no longer there, nothing is happening with the listing. Not news to us, is it?

She feels it's important to mirror her clients as far as image and the status quo. For her that means $8,000 purses and frequent $500 dinners (5 times a week) at NYC's famed Four Season's Restaurant. Her words ring with some truth, "it’s how people judge each other at the curb. Why would you not overcome that curb if you could?" I'm sure most can find more than just a modicum of truth in this, even if we don't shop in the same boutiques or partake of the same filet of bison served with foie gras and Perigord truffle sauce.

She attributes her success to working hard. She puts in 80-90 hour weeks. I'd like to think that our results are directly related to the effort we put in. I'll give her that much. I'm not sure I want to make 90 hour weeks routine for me though. That comes at a cost I'm not willing to pay.

She has teenage children and, by her own admission, spends about an hour a week with her daughter, and talks 10 minutes a week to her son. This last one makes me think it's on the phone. Whoa! Now here we have to part ways Dolly. There is no amount of money in the world that can take the place of spending time with my children. There are no number of accolades earned that can replace staying in touch with my kids and their lives. Being a hands-on parent is not something I am going to negotiate on.

I want to be successful. Really I do. But each person needs to define success in their own terms and what it means to them. My definition includes sufficient quality time with my loved ones as well as paying the bills and having enough for some wants, not just the needs.

Today I wonder how Dolly's children feel about her success?

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Miami Buyers and Sellers Benefit from REALTOR® Expertise in Distressed Sales

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:39:54 -0500

If you are a seller in the Miami area looking for options regarding your home sale, I may be able to help. I am Maggie Dokic, and I have earned the NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification.

The SFR is a nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of REALTORS® offers the SFR certification to REALTORS® who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate the complicated transactions of distressed sales.

As demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows, the national certification is a way to know you're dealing with someone who's received the proper training. According to a recent NAR survey, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures.

For many real estate professionals, short sales and foreclosures are the new “traditional” transaction. REALTORS® who have earned the SFR certification know how to help sellers maneuver the complexities of short sales as well as help buyers pursue short sale and foreclosure opportunities.

The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, the oh-so-important negotiating with lenders, protecting buyers, and limiting risk, and provides resources to help REALTORS® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.

If you are facing a possible short sale or foreclosure and want to discuss possible options, please call and trust that I can explain the resources available to you.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Market Report for the Redland area of Miami as of 3/6/07

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:14:31 -0500

Here's a few numbers representative of the current real estate market conditions in historic Redland in Miami. These numbers are for Single Family Homes:

Homes for Sale: 91

Range of prices: $281K - $2.5m

Homes under contract: 19

Homes Sold in the last 30 days: 4

Inventory available: 22.75 months (or roughly 1.9 years)

The inventory number is calculated by dividing the number of homes for sale by the number of homes sold in the last month. This results in how "many months worth of homes" are presently available. That means that if every home listed for sale were to actually sell, it would take that many months to sell them. This is a very good number to keep your eye on. The higher the number the higher the indication that we're in a Buyer's Market (which we are). This is a great time to buy. It doesn't cost a buyer anything to use a REALTOR®. Consider finding a competent and caring professional to help you in your search.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Miami Redland Winery

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 09:01:31 -0500

I love living in the Redland area of Miami. It's not just about selling real estate here. I love being close to the city, yet removed enough that the country charm comes through. Redland is home to nurseries that grow plants and tropical fruits shipped all over the States. Once you live here, you start developing a taste for tropical fruits and are no longer happy just buying and eating them, but want to grow them too. I've added several fruit trees since I bought my home in the Redlands and already enjoy some of the fruits of my labor (excuse the pun). One thing I won't be able to produce myself though is wine. Luckily for me, there's a local winery doing that already, and doing it quite well.

Schnebly Redland's Winery is unlike most wineries. They have the distinction of being the only producer of wines in the U.S that uses absolutely no grapes. Instead they use tropical fruits. They use five different fruits and produce 7 varieties: Mango, Carambola (starfruit), Guava, Lychee (if you haven't yet tried fresh lychees, you must. They are now my favorite fruit) and Passion Fruit. The winery is the creation of owners Peter and Denisse Schnebly, local residents and entrepreneurs.

The wine tasting room is open to the public. Here you can buy wines as well as wine-related items. I particularly liked their "Got Wine?" T-shirts. For $5 you get to sample 6 wines and keep the etched glass. You can return with the glass and get free tastings forever. I am not a drinker but I enjoyed the tasting. Our "guide" was Javier and he did an excellent job of teaching me all about tasting wines, not just theirs. My favorite was the Passion Fruit. As Javier explained to me, that was to be expected. Most non-drinkers prefer the sweeter wines. But they were all quite good.

The wines range in price from $13.95 to $18.95 per bottle. They also have a limited reserve wine, Denisse's Boo-Boo wine, at $34.95. This last one was created by Denisse Schnebly quite by accident, thus resulting in it's name. Once this one is sold out, it is gone forever.

The winery is open for tastings Mon-Fri 10:00 - 5:00, Sat 10:00 - 6:00, Sun 12:00 - 5:00. On the weekends you can also see how the wine is made by touring the production facilities. Tours are given each Saturday and Sunday, every hour on the hour.

If you can't make it for a local peek, the next best thing is to order their wines online. I've provided their link above.

Schnebly Redland's Winery, 30205 SW 217 Avenue, Homestead, FL 33030, 888-717-WINE

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Take Precautions When Hiring a Florida Locksmith

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:34:01 -0500

If you're a Florida homeowner in need of a locksmith, here's something to consider: in the State of Florida, locksmiths don't need to be licensed. Not yet anyway.

Because of this, it is very easy for someone who has no intentions of being a bonafide locksmith, set up shop as a locksmith and scam people. For as little as $15, the person can purchase "bogus" business cards and make people think he is in it for real.

People in need of a locksmith may call these con-men with a legitimate request to change locks or set up a safe in a business or home. The "locksmith" can keep the combination or copies of keys and later rob them without much effort.

In an effort to prevent this scenario, bills have been filed in the Florida legislature, that would require licensing for locksmiths and make it a criminal offense to impersonate one. The measure would make it harder for this type of scamming to continue.

Legitimate locksmiths welcome the licensing. They don't want to be affiliated with those who would commit these crimes.

So until this comes to pass, how can you protect yourself? If you live in Miami-Dade, the county has already put a locksmith ordinance into effect. It requires that anyone working as a locksmith be registered with the Miami-Dade County Consumer Services Department, Consumer Protection Division. To verify if someone is registered, you can call the Consumer Services Department at (305) 375-3677.

Additionally, the ordinance requires that the registration number be listed prominently on advertising (including business cards), and on all forms, invoices, commercial trucks and vans. Look for these.

In addition, follow these common sense tips when using a locksmith:

ask friends for recommendations.
ask the locksmith for their registration #. A legitimate one will have it on all the items listed above.
obtain more than one estimate if possible.
obtain written estimates.
don't choose a locksmith on the basis of price alone.
get an itemized bill.
never sign a blank form.
keep accurate records of work performed & amounts paid.

As always, it can't hurt to be too careful.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Short Sale Fraud - Miami's on Top Again

Wed, 18 May 2011 14:05:39 -0400

Throughout the course of business and selling Miami short sales I speak to lots of consumers about the real estate market. Whenever the topic of short sale fraud comes up, they are always surprised. Then I explain what short sale fraud is and that it's alive and well in Miami, much to the chagrin of those of us who fight constantly to change the reputation that precedes us. It's an uphill battle when scams affecting banks and unsuspecting consumers are still so prevalent.

So, what exactly is short sale fraud? It takes various forms. Here are a couple of the more prevalent ones in Miami:

The selling agent may line up a buyer for the property at market value, but submit a different, lower, offer to the bank for approval. Oftentimes this requires that others be involved in this as well, as the lender will send someone to do a BPO (Broker's Price Opinion - similar to an appraisal but performed by an agent hired by the lender). Once the bank approves the lower offer and the transaction closes, the property is then flipped and sold at true market value. The seller is usually not involved in this type of scam, but can be and would then share the profits of the flip. The loser? The bank holding the original mortgage note who got a lot less for the home than it was really worth.
This other form is the one that I am seeing much more often and I hesitate to say "seeing" because I have no actual proof that it is happening, just clues, many clues, that point to its existence. This 2nd one involves the seller always. It takes place when a seller has no intention of really selling the house. His intention is to get out from under the "huge" debt (his original purchase price) and stay in the house at the new, lower price. How does this happen? The "sale" takes place to a known buyer, even though they both sign affidavits that it is an "arm's length transaction" and neither one has anything going on with the other (can we say "perjury" boys and girls?). The seller does not act on his own. His real estate professional (and I use the term lightly) has to be knowingly doing this. You see, there will be requests made by other agents who want to show the property. The listing agent then ignores all those requests to make sure the only offer submitted to the bank is the one mentioned above. Why even list it then? Because it is a lender requirement. Shady!!

Today I was looking at closed sales in an area of Miami I know really well and one stood out like a sore thumb. A short sale that had been listed at $660K dropped the asking price to $330K in a matter of two months (red flag #1). Immediately after cutting the price in half, it pended (accepted an offer and changed the status on the MLS to "Pending Sale"). Three months later the transaction closed with a sales price of $250K. This by itself is not the next red flag. But I know this area. This particular home is worth between $440K - $495K in today's market. And it sold for $250K? Big red flag. I'm not really sure whether it's fraud of type A or B above, but fraud it is.

Besides the fact that the banks are losing out on huge amounts of money, there are the homeowners in the surrounding areas who are affected as well. The property values are affected by these bogus sales and it hurts other homesellers trying to sell their homes at bona fide market value. With a sale such as this one being used by an appraiser, it will be difficult for legitimate home sales to appraise.

This is infuriating. Besides that, it's illegal. Sigh.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

With a Quack, Quack Here - Miami Ducks

Mon, 16 May 2011 08:00:23 -0400

When I moved to Miami from New York City ten years ago, one of the many things that were new to me were the canals throughout Miami-Dade County. New York City has no flooding problems, unlike South Florida, where the canals were added many years ago to help with the flooding problems.

A very nice perk to having these canals all over Miami are the ducks they provide paddling space for. =) I know that ducks can be a nuisance in many Miami neighborhoods which have lakes or back up to canals. People who don't listen to conventional wisdom feed the ducks and create a problem. Once accustomed to being fed, they will return for more.

Because I don't live in such a neighborhood, I don't suffer from the duck nuisance but can enjoy them from afar. Today was a treat. I was driving through a lovely neighborhood in the Southwest Miami area and kept seeing ducks all over the place. The cutest sight was the mama duck with fourteen ducklings trailing behind her each waddling across as if performing for me. I stopped the car and thoroughly enjoyed the sight.

Please be careful with the duckies as you drive around!

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Halloween Fun in Pinecrest, FL

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:22:05 -0400

Are you looking for something fun to do this Halloween weekend? Pinecrest Parks & Recreation has the answer!

Track or Treat will be held on Halloween day at Evelyn Greer Park. Miami-Dade Monster Merchants will be set up around the track providing treats to all ghosts, goblins and friends. Please bring a trick-or-treat bag! There will be a bounce house and haunted house.

Track or Treat

Evelyn Greer Park

Sunday, October 31, 2010

5:00 – 7:00pm

8200 SW 124 Street

Pinecrest, FL

FREE!

Domain of Fears will take place both Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy an event of scary fun-fear where the killer cupid and his minions await your arrival! Travel through a scary graveyard, the gypsy’s tavern, the castle of hungry vampires, a torture chamber, a portal and killer cupid’s love nest. This event is appropriate for all ages! I’m guessing that means that even chickens such as myself can go without fear of really being scared to death.

Domain of Fears

Evelyn Greer Park

Saturday 10/30 & Sunday 10/31

5:00 – 9:00pm

8200 SW 124 Street

Pinecrest, FL

$5 per person

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Thank you, Two-Timing Buyer!

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:43:10 -0400

Dear Two-Timing Tina,

Thanks for being unfaithful to me. I'm not angry. Instead, I'm thrilled. Why would I be thrilled to find out that you were seeing another REALTOR® behind my back? Because it was the epiphany I needed.

You see, I've known for a very long time that I should be working only with buyers who sign an exclusive buyer brokerage agreement. But I had grown complacent and kept putting it off. Getting buyers to sign these requires that I make adjustments to my routine. It requires some effort. I have to show my prospective buyers the benefits they will gain by working with only me. In order to accomplish this, they need to come into my office for a complimentary buyer consultation.

I've been so busy that instead of scheduling the free consultation when a new buyer called me, I would just get the property details and schedule a showing. Deep down I knew this was not the way it should be. But I kept telling myself I was too busy to do it otherwise.

Then you came along. Asking to see an $80,000 foreclosed home. The fact that this is well below what I usually work did not matter. You had a need and I wanted to fill it. So I picked up HUD keys, printed detail reports, drove by neighborhoods to check them out for you and reported back to you diligently.

For one reason or another, we were not able to meet face-to-face for 10 days or so. But I continued my diligent work for you. We spoke on the phone, texted back and forth, and stayed in touch . All seemed well.

Then yesterday I confirmed our appointment, gathered the documents and set out for our first F2F meeting. I arrived at the property to see that another REALTOR® was there showing it to his client. I said hello to them and waited for your arrival. After 10 minutes I decided to call and make sure you were not lost. I put two and two together when the other agent's client reached in her pocked for her ringing phone.

She was you!

You were her!

You looked over at me and asked, "oh, is that you calling me?" Was that when it hit you that you had scheduled appointments with two agents at the same house, at the same time? I've known two-timers before, but this was my first dealing with one with a faulty scheduling system.

I don't think my surprise showed on my face. And my well chosen words were not rude, although after leaving, I thought about it and chastised myself for not giving you a good talking-to. You needed to know what you did was wrong. But that didn't matter to me at the time.

What did matter was that your actions pushed me to making a realization which will serve me well in the future. You were the straw that broke the camel's back. I am no longer working with buyers who don't come to my office for our consultation and sign the buyer brokerage agreement. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Please continue on your merry way and know that our brief encounter fared me well. And the next buyer who calls me will know all the wonderful things he'll be gaining by working with me exclusively. Because I will make sure I tell him.

Yours truly,

No longer your agent.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Palmetto Bay Mayor Sued

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:24:52 -0400

Palmetto Bay Mayor Flinn was sued yesterday for not resigning his post as mayor before entering the race for County Commissioner.

The suit was filed yesterday by attorney Stephen Cody, a 30 year veteran of election law. According to Cody, one cannot be in office while running for a different office when one may end up serving both positions at the same time.

The lawsuit comes just days before the election. Palmetto Bay residents are left wondering why this is happening now. There will be an emergency hearing this afternoon to determine if his candidacy will be disqualified. Read more details here.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.

Pinecrest Entertainment Venue Revival

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:16:21 -0400

The Village of Pinecrest is looking into making better use of the Banyan Bowl amphitheater, located within Pinecrest Gardens.

Pinecrest commissioned a study which included the opinion of Pinecrest residents to discover whether the initiative would be welcomed by them. Overwhelmingly, the majority of Pinecrest residents are on board for using the 500-seat amphitheater to bring cultural events such as music and theater to Pinecrest.

The study indicated that there are plenty of theater and music groups that could make use of the Banyan Bowl if it were upgraded.

Read more about it here.

The opinions expressed herein, are those of the author, and not necessarily of Keller Williams Realty.

None of this information is to be deemed legal or financial advice. Please contact your attorney or accountant for same.